Wrong choice & poor performance defeated us: Sonia

Wrong distribution of tickets was one of the main reasons of the Congress debacle in the recently concluded Assembly elections, admits Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In her first public appearance before the media after the election results, Gandhi analysed all the states including Goa.

“People were obviously unhappy in Goa with the performance of the ruling Congress and so did not vote for it”, she said.

She also sent a strong message to those who would be held responsible for the Congress defeat in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa, stating that the party would go in for correction, hinting that heads may roll.

But she also sent out a message to party leaders, taking a swipe at those who had guided the campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

She laughed and said, while answering a question on the lack of leadership, “I will say rather than the lack of leadership... actually we have too many leaders. Perhaps that's our problem.”

The next challenge — the Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled States — would have to be faced squarely, she stressed.

“We have Gujarat, then we have Himachal... Karnataka yes... we have to pull our socks up and get going.”

But all was not lost, and the results would not have any impact on the stability of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition.

To a question on UPA allies, she said: “We have seen in the past that the opposition has been in some cases a little... well unhelpful. My view [and] .. that of the Prime Minister and government is that if we continuously and regularly stay in touch and talk to our coalition partners and opposition, [then] on issues which are beneficial to the people of the country, I have every hope, they will understand and support [us].”

After an interregnum of several months — in which she had taken a back seat, thanks largely to ill-health — Gandhi stepped out into the public domain.

Interestingly, it was immediately after a series of one-on-one meetings she had on Wednesday morning with general secretaries in charge of the States that had gone to the polls at her rarely used office at the party headquarters, not behind the heavily guarded high walls of 10 Janpath.

General secretary in charge of U.P. Digvijay Singh met her on Tuesday: he is believed to have offered his resignation, which was not accepted. On Wednesday, she said all those in charge of the States had worked very hard.

Gandhi's interaction with the media was of a piece with son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi accepting publicly the responsibility for the verdict in U.P. on Tuesday — sending out a signal that while they meant to analyse the results, and find out what or who went wrong, they were also willing to accept responsibility for failure.

Also the speaker should have progressed beyond the 'Mogal Bavanno ani Bhoinnanu' speech!

What's the latest on the billionnaire listing of the Gandhi clan?

gaspar almeida
, goa | 13 th March 2012 09:57 IST

When the Congress lack an organized party office in Goa, there is no way the High Command will ever know or understand what transpires in the State. Obtaining regular feedback from the State office is what would keep them abreast of the undercurrents that shape the political scene, but when such 'intelligence' is absent, arbitrary and unfounded decisions are made by the Congress High Command functionaries, who visit Goa, grope in the dark and then take decisions which are akin to knee-jerk reactions.

This has happened time and again, but one would think that they could learn from their 'mistakes.

Peter
, Dubai | 10 th March 2012 23:11 IST

@raj goa; Good point. They were destined to be doomed too. But they did the clever thing of riding the BJP wave.

Jagan
, Canada | 09 th March 2012 17:06 IST

HOW IS THAT THE CORRUPT LEADER OF MGP WERE ELECTED, WHO WILL TAKE OATH IN THE GOVT.

DOES THA YARDSTICK OF CORRUPTION ONLY APPLY TO CONGRESS

raj
, Goa | 09 th March 2012 01:44 IST

Sonia has now woken up from deep sleep. If she knew, that the people of Goa were unhappy with the congress looters ..what she was doing for all those years. The congress observers eaten money and sold out congress tickets is a hard fact. People of Goa are not fools and have taught a lesseon. Sonai should release the Shah commissions report on Goa's illegal minings (I hope the report is not altered already) and should take proper action against culprits..Also, nationalization of Iron Ore Mines should be done to stop the resources loot...all money goes into the pockets of few miners at the cost of goan beauty .If this is not done...Congress in Goa will be no where in future.

vassudev korgaonkar
, GOA | 08 th March 2012 17:36 IST

The increasing Corruption, failure of good governance, increasing crimes, Loot of public wealth, Dynasty rule, Growing arrogance, increasing prices and inflation, division of society for selfish purpose, failing confidence in the ability of the Govt, to protect the life and property--were resons for failure of the Party but conveniently appear to be side tracked...